<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Because it's Only just Begun by AnimalDisco</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26948440">Because it's Only just Begun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimalDisco/pseuds/AnimalDisco'>AnimalDisco</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dream SMP Story Arcs [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cliffhangers, Dream Smp, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Or Is It?, War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:48:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,953</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26948440</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimalDisco/pseuds/AnimalDisco</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Wilbur decides to go ahead with his plan to explode Manberg in an attempt to get Schlatt out of power. But is this really the right way to go about it?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dream SMP Story Arcs [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969468</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. This is Only the Beginning of the End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’m going to blow up </span>
  <span>Manberg</span>
  <span>.” The look in Wilbur’s eyes was one of defiance, but there was a sadness at the back. Tommy was shocked, mouth hanging open with no words coming out.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No...” Tommy finally got out. “No, Wilbur. This isn’t the way. This isn’t right.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My mind’s made up. Dream has some spare TNT. I’m sure he’ll be willing to help rig the place.” Wilbur started to walk off, pulling out his phone to message Dream about the explosives.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wilbur, please. Think about this,” Tommy said, trying to keep up with Wilbur’s strides into the forest. “What about Niki’s bakery? What about the </span>
  <span>Camarvan</span>
  <span>? Please, just don’t do this. We can find another way.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, we can’t, Tommy!” Wilbur shouted, swivelling around to face his second in command. “We’ve lost. We lost the election, and we’ve now been exiled. I’m not even sure of our spies’ allegiances anymore. You know what, Tommy? This is why you will never be the leader </span>
  <span>L’manberg</span>
  <span>. You can’t see when we’ve lost. You futilely try and continue onwards even though there isn’t a way. And now, we’re... we’re the bad guys. We’re the bad guys, Tommy, so why not act like it? Are you with me or not?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hurt was apparent in Tommy’s face at Wilbur’s words. Wilbur could be harsh, but he had never been that blunt and hurtful towards him before. “I did say I would follow you, and I do still stand by it, Wilbur, even if I don’t agree with this.” Tommy eyes shot up to over Wilbur’s shoulder. “Dream, leave. Don't get into this.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wilbur turned around and was faced with the masked man he’d texted. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Dream. Do you still have those reserves of TNT from the war?” Wilbur asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, man. I do. What do you need it for?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning around, Wilbur looked dead on into Tommy’s pleading eyes before replying. “I need it to blow up Manberg.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy turned around and left, knowing there was no convincing Wilbur not to do this. Staying and hearing them would only bring more unnecessary pain. Wilbur’s gaze dropped to the ground, his voice lowering as well.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dream, we are the bad guys, aren’t we?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Dream asked, confusion apparent in his voice. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, me and Tommy lost the election, and now we’re trying to undermine the results by taking back the country. It isn’t exactly a ‘good person’ thing to do.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sinking to the ground, Wilbur sat himself down on the grass block below, pulling at the strands of grass growing there. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dream sat himself beside Wilbur, putting a friendly hand onto his shoulder.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think you are the bad guys, but neither do I think you’re the good guys. You're just guys trying to get back what you lost.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It blowing the place up the right thing to do?” for the first time, Wilbur started to feel doubtful of his plans.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The way I see it, you need to tear down the old to build up the new. You make things better by rebuilding the old again and again. Think of how L’Manberg thrived after the war. It could be like that once more.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right,” Wilbur said, the doubt from earlier fading. “Dream, will you help me set it up? There’s going to be a festival next week, and that’s when I want to set it off.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, just let me get the stuff, and we’ll begin.”</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Festival of the Explosive Type</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The festival was in full swing. The streets were lined with lanterns glowing in the dark light, stalls selling bread, cookies, and cakes everywhere you turned. Fundy was busy setting up a fireworks display for when their president arrived, and gifts to the leader of Manberg placed by his diamond throne. The only thing that was missing was the cheerfulness and fun.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The people were worried. Worried that there would be the slightest mistake that would set their ruler off, causing them to be punished. He was a volatile ruler which the people of Manberg knew all too well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Anxiously, the people of Manberg watched </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span> approach them down the street, </span>
  <span>Tubbo</span>
  <span> and </span>
  <span>Quackity</span>
  <span> at his side. With shaky paws, Fundy set off the fireworks display to welcome </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span> to the festival. The colourful explosions filled the night sky. Greens, and reds, and purples, and whites battled with the other colours for dominance in the shimmering performance. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span> did not smile. His face remained as stoic as ever. Looking up to the sky, he watched the display until the colours started to fade before resuming his walk to the throne, grabbing a cookie from Niki’s stall without even saying thank you. Why would he? This was what was expected from the citizens. Should the ruler of the country have to thank its citizens for only doing what was expected of them?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Two bites into the cookie, he threw the rest of it away, having had his full of it. It wasn’t that it was a bad cookie, it was just too big for what he wanted right now. If he wanted more, he could always grab a new one anyway.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span> took his spot behind the podium by his throne to talk, Wilbur and Tommy watched from the hillside outside the city. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“People of Manberg,” </span>
  <span>Schlatt’s</span>
  <span> voice rung loudly through the country. “We have gathered on this day to celebrate our city’s growth. We have successfully thrown out the tyrannical dictator Wilbur Soot, and the child, </span>
  <span>Tommyinnit</span>
  <span>. The wondrous colours that adorn our new flag put the old one to shame. Only a few relics of the past remain, but that will soon be solved. As a gesture to show our growth as a nation, I shall burn these old music discs.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy was fuming at his words, ready to leap down and start a fight</span>
  <span> immediately. The only thing that stopped him was Wilbur's strong hands. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me go, Wilbur! </span>
  <span>He’s</span>
  <span> going to </span>
  <span>burn the music discs!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What good will it do if I let you go? </span>
  <span>You won’t have time to go and stop him before they’re burnt. You’ll only betray our position.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The flames licked at the </span>
  <span>discs before</span>
  <span> they succumbed to the heat. They were gone in an instant, and so did Tommy’s will to fight.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Next to speak,” boomed </span>
  <span>Schlatt's</span>
  <span> voice, </span>
  <span>“is my trusty secretary, </span>
  <span>Tubbo</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy turned to Wilbur, desperation in his eyes. “Wilbur, please. Please don’t do this. </span>
  <span>Tubbo</span>
  <span>, he's my friend. </span>
  <span>Don’t kill him. What about </span>
  <span>Niki</span>
  <span>, and Fundy too?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You know my mind is made up. Nothing will stop me now.” </span>
  <span>And Tommy knew it was the truth. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy ran just as Wilbur pushed the button. He ran as fast as he could towards the podium where Tubbo was moving towards for his speech. It was a competition between him and the redstone signal for who could get there first. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Tubbo</span>
  <span>!” Tommy shouted as he got close to the podium, drawing </span>
  <span>Tubbo's</span>
  <span> attention to him. “Get down!” He shouted just as the first explosion </span>
  <span>tore the ground apart. From that point on, it was total chaos. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Tommy jumped, pulling </span>
  <span>Tubbo</span>
  <span> aside to safety, the podium exploded, buildings all around them falling to the ground destroyed. The stands were demolished instantly, with the debris flying everywhere as the people there tried to get to safety. Niki pulled Fundy to the side just as one of the buildings fell to the ground just where Fundy had been. </span>
  <span>Quackity</span>
  <span> and </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span> had scurried for safety behind the diamond throne. The apartments that had been build up, crumbled to the ground, and the pole carrying Manberg’s flag splintered, bringing the proud piece of cloth down from the sky.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When all the explosions had finished going off, all the remained around them was the rubble. Even the Camarvan had suffered the wrath of the TNT. The sound of footsteps approaching across the rubble drew everyone’s attention to the tall figure coming towards them. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your empire has now fallen, </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span>. You have nothing to govern over anymore. Your time as president is over,” Wilbur’s loud voice echoed through the crowd. Everyone looked up at him, but no one looked happy.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wilbur, what have you done?” </span>
  <span>Tubbo</span>
  <span> asked, devastation in his eyes, brushing the dust off his shoulders as he got to his feet. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I have freed us from this tyrannical ruler.” Wilbur pointed at </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span>, who he was expecting to be angry. Instead, he laughed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hahahaha, oh my goodness. Wilbur, I knew you were desperate, but to destroy everything and risk the lives of those you care about? This is better than anything I could wish for; better than anything I could have done. You ruined your puny little country in your desperate attempt to get rid of me.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We will rebuild, and it will be better.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” A voice from beside </span>
  <span>Tubbo</span>
  <span> piped up. “No, Wilbur. This has gone too far. All of our memories; gone. You risked the lives of all of us and destroyed all we love.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A single tear slid down Tommy’s cheek as he spoke. “Leave. Just leave, Wilbur. We don’t need a leader like you who would rather ruin the country and risk all our lives to maintain power.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you were with me, Tommy.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re going back on your word?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you are with me?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No! No! No! No!” Tommy screamed as he marched over to Wilbur. Tears were falling freely now as he picked up his fists and started pounding on Wilbur’s chest. “Go away!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You want me gone, Tommy?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Go away! Leave! Go! You don’t deserve to be here anymore! I never want to see you again!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy’s words stung Wilbur. He thought this would work. That they could make things better again. He never thought he would be exiled once more by the people he cared about. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy’s pounding of his chest had ceased, but he was now sobbing more openly. Slowly, Tommy’s knees gave way, and he sunk to the ground at Wilbur’s feet. Looking around at the people there, no one said a word in his defence. Wilbur took the hint, and quietly left, falling back into the shadows, and exile, once more.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Ending it All</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Right,” said </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span>, rubbing his palms together, “it’s time for you lot to be clearing up this mess for me.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Tommy said, still slumped on the ground.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter what you say, Tommy. You’re exiled. You can go follow Wilbur into the wilderness for all I care. Come on </span>
  <span>Manbergians</span>
  <span>. Get to work.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No one moved. No one wanted to listen to the president anymore.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s over, </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span>,” said </span>
  <span>Tubbo</span>
  <span>. “No one ever wanted to be under your rule to start with.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I was elected. You have no right to defy me.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Go away, </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span>. No one wants your leader ship anymore,” Tommy sounds resigned, but still snorts to himself as he stares at Wilbur’s footprints in the settled dust. “I think I finally understand Wilbur’s words now, even if it may not be what he meant at the time.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Getting to his feet, Tommy turned around to face the crowd that were watching him. “Wilbur told me I would never be the leader of </span>
  <span>L’Manberg</span>
  <span>, and at the time, that hurt. But now, I finally get it. I won’t ever be the leader of </span>
  <span>L’Manberg</span>
  <span> because no one will be. We don’t need a leader; we can make decisions together. Having someone govern us has only brought us destruction. So together, as a nation, we will manage on our own. That leaves you with a choice, </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span>. Either you accept this and help us rebuild, or you can get out.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The house in the woods was bare. All it contained was a single bed. It had no chest, no crafting table, and no furnace. Why would it? To necessitate that would require you to have items, and Wilbur no had nothing. There wasn’t even a single torch inside. The only source of light was the bubbling lava pool outside. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Wilbur sat outside, watching the lava occasionally pop. Rain droplets started to fall from the sky, causing the lava to sizzle as the water evaporated from the heat. Even as the rain fell onto his head, Wilbur had no intentions of moving himself under the tree he was right next to. He was alone, and that was for the best. Even after weeks had now passed since he blew up </span>
  <span>L’Manberg</span>
  <span>, he had no plans of returning. They were better off without a person that would blow up his own country.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” a familiar voice said from behind him. Not alone after all.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here, Dream?” Wilbur asked, not taking his eyes off the lava pool.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I came to see how you were doing, Wilbur.” Dream sat himself down next to </span>
  <span>Wilbur. The two of them </span>
  <span>stared at the lava pool, not saying anything to one another.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dream was the first one to break the silence. “You should go back to L’Manberg, see what the others have been doing.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, they’re better off without me.  Dream, I... I did as you said, but it didn’t go according to plan. I just ended up being kicked out again. Even Tommy turned against me. No one wants me there, and I think it’s best if I respect their wishes on the matter.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rising to his feet, Wilbur walked over to the lava pool, feeling the heat of it against his skin. It looked </span>
  <span>mesmerizing</span>
  <span> with its orange swirls enticing him in. “This is it for me, Dream. I’m done.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Closing his eyes, Wilbur took in a deep breath, and stepped off the edge into the pool of lava.</span>
  
</p><p><em><span>Tss</span></em> <em><span>tss</span></em><em><span> tss.</span></em></p><p>
  <span>Funny, he should be dead by now. Staring down at what he was standing on, Wilbur saw obsidian. </span>
  <span>Spinning</span>
  <span> around, Wilbur saw Dream standing behind him, empty bucket in hand. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shrugging, Dream said, “I really think you should take a look at </span>
  <span>L’Manberg</span>
  <span> before you do anything else.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy stared out at the forest, as Niki, Fundy, Tubbo, and everone else went about still trying to repair the damage that was done. Shlatt had left long ago, stating that he would find a new place to rule over instead of the run-down Manberg. What Shlatt refused to admit to was that he had been run out of the country when he refused to help out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You were too hard on Wilbur, Tommy,” Niki said, appearing behind him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know that now. I was just so mad at him at the time when he destroyed everything. Even though it got </span>
  <span>Schlatt</span>
  <span> out of power, I'm still not sure this was the best solution to the problem. God, I wish he would just come back.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s done is done,” Fundy’s voice said. “All we can do is hope he returns. Until then, let’s try and get this place fixed up. Here, come and help me carry these planks.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy turned around and took in the sight of their progress. It had taken them a whole week to remove all the debris and get the ground back to a more flattened state once more, filling in the holes the TNT had created. Now they were focusing on restoring what had been destroyed in the explosion. The </span>
  <span>Camarvan</span>
  <span> had been completely broken, but had now been rebuilt with a sign reading; ‘the Camarvaan: restored after being blown up at the end of </span>
  <span>Schlatt’s</span>
  <span> reign.’ </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Niki’s bakery had mostly survived, so she was doing her best to keep morale up by making sure everyone was well fed as they worked. It was definitely needed. The mood around the place had been sombre after all their treasured builds had blown up, and Wilbur had disappeared. They all hoped he would come back once more. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy walked over to Fundy, and helped lift the heavy pile of planks that were to be taken to a new building they were erecting; Parliament. All L’Manbergians would immediately have a say and equal vote on things that required political attention. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy walked backwards, carrying the planks in hand. They were heavy, and required a lot of Tommy’s concentration not to drop. So much so, that Tommy didn’t notice the rock behind him until he was already tripping over it. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tommy!” Fundy shouted, but there was nothing he could do to help. Tommy fell to the ground, and could only watch as the planks came closer and closer to him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A hand pushed the falling planks to the side, so they clattered harmlessly to the side of Tommy. Tommy lay on the grass, shocked. Not only because he had just avoided certain death, but there, standing above him, was Wilbur. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You alright there?” Wilbur asked, offering his hand to Tommy to help him get up. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re back?” Tommy said dumbfounded, getting to his feet once more with Wilbur’s help.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wilbur!” Niki shouted before running over and giving Wilbur a huge hug.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Niki, I missed you,” Wilbur said, hugging Niki back. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t leave us again like that, okay?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I promise.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Once the two let go of each other, Wilbur started to help with the restorations of </span>
  <span>L’Manberg</span>
  <span>. Morale was once more being restored as they all worked together to build up their proud nation once more, nor all as equals.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the hillside Wilbur had been sitting on when he’d set off the explosives was now Dream, watching the progress being made on </span>
  <span>L’Manberg</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Cute. Their building up what they lost. But don’t they know? You need to tear things down, to build things up better once more?” Dream said, hands in his pockets, grabbing the diamond sword inside tightly before lunging in.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, Dreamon arc, anyone?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>